People sometimes come to me because they are in pain. When I ask them what they want to do with the pain, they usually say, ‘Get rid of it!’ As part of craniosacral therapy, I often ask if we can talk to the pain. I ask what the person wants to say to the pain. The typical reply is usually something like, ‘get out of here!’ It’s not a very nice way to talk to our pain or our self now is it.
What if we got to know our pain? I believe that most of the time, pain is information. What if we sat with it, talked with it, like we were trying to get to know it? Maybe this pain has something to teach us.
A few years ago, a client came in to see me with a lot of pain in his left hip. Let’s call him Bob. This pain was really starting to limit his mobility. It was getting harder and harder for Bob to think about anything else. The doctors could not determine a source of pain with Bob’s hip. The drugs that the doctors were prescribing were causing many negative side effects and the physical therapy seemed to make it worse, so Bob agreed to try CST.
During our session, I asked Bob if we could talk with the pain and he responded much like my other patients, by wanting it GONE! I suggested we get to know it first and see why the pain is there. After helping Bob listen to his pain and his hip – and not the story in his head – we started to get some significant information. Come to find out, Bob was in an auto accident about 20 years ago, where someone T-boned his car while he was driving several people to a meeting. Being a ‘take charge’ kind of guy, Bob was concerned about everyone else and he thought he was ‘fine.’ It was pretty hectic at the time, making sure everyone got the help they needed, calling the ambulance, and staying on top of all the many other things he felt he needed to do at an accident.
Turns out his hip wasn’t so ‘fine.’ It really took a big hit that day and has been keeping Bob prepared just in case he gets in another accident for 20 plus years. Once Bob got to hear the story, from his hip’s point of view, he completely understood why it hurt so much. After saying ‘thank you’ a few times and feeling into all the stress he carried in his hip since the accident, the pain let up. It went from an ‘8’ pain level down to a ‘3’. After two more CST sessions, Bob and his hip realized it is okay, even safe, to relax and let the pain go. Bob left the office pain free.
Bob’s story is unique to him. However, how he discovered the real source of his pain is not unique at all. Often by listening, really deeply listening, we can discover our own truth, hear our story and let go of things that may be holding us back. Our cells and tissues hold our story. When we give it a chance to be heard, it can provide profound healing.
Does your body have a story that it wants to share?
To learn more about CST or schedule treatment sessions, call me at 941.730.2193
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